A wave of violence has broken out in Mexico after the country’s most wanted drug baron was killed in an operation seeking his arrest.
Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho”, was the leader of the feared Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) drug cartel and died after being seriously injured in clashes between his supporters and the army on Sunday.
Four CJNG members were killed during the operation in the town of Tapalpa, in the central-western Jalisco state, and three army personnel were also injured, the Mexican defence ministry said.
Retaliation for the drug lord’s death has seen violence spread to at least a dozen states, with CJNG blocking roads with burning vehicles.
Throughout Sunday there were reports of gunmen on the streets in Jalisco and elsewhere.
Eyewitnesses filmed plumes of smoke rising over several cities including Guadalajara – one of the host cities of the forthcoming Fifa World Cup.
Jalisco’s Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro declared a code red in the state, pausing all public transport and cancelling mass events and in-person classes.
Tourists who spoke to news agency Reuters described the resort town of Puerto Vallarta as a “war zone”.
Some 250 roadblocks were in place across the country during the unrest, with 65 in Jalisco, the BBC’s US news partner CBS reported. In its latest update, the Mexican security cabinet said four blockades remained active in Jalisco.
The cabinet says 25 people have been arrested, 11 for their alleged participation in violent acts and 14 more for alleged looting and pillaging.
Shops were on fire and about 20 bank branches were attacked in the violence, it added.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said there was “absolute co-ordination” between state and federal officials in response to the violence, urging people to stay “calm and informed”.
She added that “in most parts of the country, activities are proceeding normally”.
Several airlines have cancelled flights to Jalisco, including Air Canada, United Airlines and American Airlines.
The US has warned its citizens to shelter in place in five states: Jalisco, Tamaulipas, areas of Michoacán, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon.
The UK government said “serious security incidents” had been reported in Jalisco, adding that visitors “should exercise extreme caution” and follow the advice of local authorities.
The US had provided Mexico with intelligence that assisted its operation to apprehend El Mencho.
US Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said late on Sunday night that El Mencho was a “top target for the Mexican and United States government as one of the top traffickers of fentanyl into our homeland”.
She said three cartel members had been killed, another three wounded and two arrested in the operation.
El Mencho, a 59-year-old former police officer, ran a vast criminal organisation responsible for trafficking huge quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl into the US.
The US State Department had offered a $15m (£11.1m) reward for information leading to his capture.
The Mexican defence ministry said in a statement that the operation was “planned and executed” by the country’s special forces.
Mike Vigil, former chief of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, described the operation as “one of the most significant actions undertaken in the history of drug trafficking” to CBS, the BBC’s US news partner.
